- New Life Covenant Church

 NEW LIFE COVENANT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP COURSE Module 1 Vision of NLCC TRANSFORMING PEOPLE, TRANSFORMING NATIONS NLCC has a mandate to see the Kingdom of God manifested in the entire world. We believe that in these times, a Kingdom agenda, which is biblically based, is the solution to the quandaries the world faces. The world needs help, and this is most definitely accomplished through God’s Grace and Love. Yet the change we want to see in the Earth has to be taken step by step, and can only be accomplished when we all participate in the transformation process. The Transformation of a nation does not take place over night, but through systematic steps that are illustrated below: The process starts at the lowest denominator, the individual man or woman. The expectation of “taking nations” cannot be substantiated if we as individuals have not been transformed ourselves. Step 1: Transforming Individuals Every human being has a beginning and a pre-­‐ordained finish. It is our resolute belief at NLCC that God has placed every person here on the Earth with a purpose that is to be fulfilled. Yet being “here” is not enough, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Phil 1:6 (Msg.) states “God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish…” Yet, between the start and finish of every process is the journey – LIFE. It is in life that we find ourselves struggling towards our destiny. At NLCC we want to help you through that journey. Romans 12:2 states that everyone must be transformed. The transformation approach at NLCC is holistic: spirit, body, mind and heart, and our values, beliefs and culture reflect that. Step 2: Transforming Families Once a person undergoes the first step in being transformed under NLCC, they immediately will meet other people that have chosen to do the same – fellow members of NLCC. At NLCC we believe in families, but not just family by the traditional definition. We consider people that make join our church family members, and newly part of us. We encourage fellowship and friendship that goes deeper than a mere Sunday. Ecclesiastes 4:19 is the basis for why we encourage family growth; because when transformation begins, the process is made “easier” when you have family around you. A family that stands in one mind with one purpose is not easily dissuaded from their purpose. Step 3: Transforming Communities At NLCC, we do not believe in being satisfied with staying insulated – we reach out. The renewing power of the Transformation we experience should be shared with those in neighborhoods, businesses, schools, hospitals and other churches. Jesus spoke well when He stated that His purpose was not only to His followers, but to all that needed Him. And we demonstrate that by not only evangelizing people to Christ, but through community programs such as the annual Tudor Bismark 10K run, street cleaning and prayers, cell ministry, partnering with local charities, and through the public media. We understand our responsibilities stretch further than the comfort of a Sunday Service, but also service to our community. Step 4: Transforming Cities The period between the crucifixion of Jesus and the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem was 50 days. The same city that was calling for Jesus’ blood, was being preached to about the salvation and cleansing power of that same blood. The city’s people underwent a complete “180” in such a short space of time. And we believe that it is possible. At NLCC we believe that our cities need a strong Apostolic church to establish the climate of the Kingdom of God to counter antagonistic forces that would breed chaos. The strength of the churches in a city determines the spiritual barometer within a city. So it is obligation to be a strong city church, and to be an archetype for “the way church should be done”. We exhibit that again from the “top-­‐down” in our house culture and behaviors. Step 5: Transforming Nations Mark 16:15 is the Great Commission given by Jesus to his disciples, and is one of the fundamental tenets Christianity. The gospel is to be spoken to All creation in All the world. NLCC believes that in order to complete the transforming nations piece of its mandate, it cannot be isolated to Zimbabwe alone. That is why, to date, there are nine NLCC flagship churches in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Netherlands, and the United States of America. NLCC is also part of the Jabula New life Ministries International network of churches (see brand explanation) that has more than 900 churches of like-­‐minded Kingdom driven believers in 29 countries on four continents. NLCC understands we cannot go it alone; it’s a “big world” but with the aid of other churches around the world, we can begin to reach the nations of the Earth and bring change. Values We, as a ministry have a set of values which are principle core beliefs and these are: 1 The Kingdom of God (Mat. 6:10; Mat. 6:33; Rom. 14:17) We believe in the Kingdom of God as a divine truth and fundamental doctrine that Jesus Christ preached and taught. Herewith, to be followed and advanced by every believer who is a part of our ministry? We believe in the infallibility and the eternity of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, as an apostolic house, we subscribe to teaching and ministering the gospel and accurately propagating the Kingdom. 2 Family (Eph. 6:1 – 4; Mar. 3:25) As a ministry, we firmly value the importance and key fundamental significance of a family unit and as a ministry; we believe that we are a great family. Family is God’s idea and God’s intent as he created Eve for Adam and blessed them to have offspring. The nation of Israel was formed from Jacob’s sons who are part of the 12 tribes of Israel. We strongly believe that strong and healthy families make up a strong and healthy nation. Hence we have and do biblical practices as a ministry such as marrying, counselling and baby dedicating to the Lord. 3 Intercessory Prayer We believe New Life Covenant Church was founded by, built by and is sustained by Intercessory Prayer. Prayer is hence an integral part of this church. We believe the effective functioning and success of New Life Covenant Church is in effective Intercessory Prayer, which is the spiritual support to everything we do as a church. We thus, believe that Intercessory Prayer is fundamental and critical to the full realization and success of New Life Covenant Church as a Ministry hence we continue to build a Prayer Culture. 4 Integrity (Pro. 11:3; Pro. 20:7; Psa. 25:21) As a Church, we value integrity. We emphasize on strong moral values. Integrity of every believer is essential for God to bless and heal a nation (2 Chronicles7:14). We strongly believe in moral uprightness, honesty, sincerity, character as such things are critical to God for the believer. As a ministry that grooms leaders in every sector of society, we teach integrity as a fundamental non-­‐negotiable principle as we select for ministry teaching individuals, purely on trust, gift and a proven character track record. Paul emphasizes to Titus, that a minister of God’s word should be blameless and hence we teach that one’s life should be lived above reproach for God to reveal his preformed grace to the believer. 5 Excellence (Eccl. 9:10; Col. 3:23) We strongly value Excellence as an expectation of God for our church and Ministry and hence in every ministry department, we have systems and policies to ensure excellence. Our God is a God of excellence and order. We believe in excellence and hence we have an orderly basic format for our services and events and every ministry department submits periodic reports, budgets so as to track our growth and impact as a church. We have adopted these best practices so as to emphasize our belief that God’s intent for every Christian is to portray excellence in everything we do. Excellence is also, thus, a proven tool even for evangelism and it also attracts favour and grace from God. 6 Prosperity (Psa. 35:27; Psa. 118:25; 3 John 2) We believe that it is God’s will for all men to prosper. He takes pleasure in the prosperity of his saints. Prosperity is the fundamental plan of God for his people and we believe in it. We believe that one should not just prosper materially as evidence of God’s blessing but also emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. God says to the prophet Malachi that the nation should bring their tithes to him so that there should be meat in his house. The word ‘meat’ metaphorically signifies that prosperity; hence prosperity is God’s intent for his church. 7 Revelation and Truth (John. 4:24; Eph. 1:18) We are a bible-­‐ believing church that believes in the infallibility of the Scriptures, the sovereignty of God and the superiority of Jesus Christ and hence, we teach, preach and evangelize the key fundamental doctrines of Christ. In a world where heresies are rife, we strive to align and authenticate everything we do with the Word of God so as not to err from God’s Will and his way. Besides our regular Sunday Morning worship services, we also have regular mid-­‐week services where there is teaching to ground the believer in Revelation and Truth. Also, we are an Apostolic House led by an Apostle with a powerful gift of Revelation and the dominant gift of the House is therefore Revelation Knowledge. The teaching in the house is predominantly Apostolic, Prophetic and Expository as well because that is the particular anointing on New Life Covenant Church. 8 Empowerment (Eph. 4:11–16; Deut. 8:18; Eccl. 5:19; Dan. 11:32b) We value empowerment as a Ministry as the Apostle Paul rightly states that spiritual gifts are for the edification of the Church. We, as a ministry, strive in the best way we can, to minister to the whole person. We empower the congregation through preaching and teaching during our regular services and through various other initiatives and programmes. As a church we further empower the vulnerable in our society as we support orphanages. We drill boreholes and have a medical programme that benefits different sections of our society. Spiritual empowerment also takes place in our sustained Regular Prayer Meetings. We believe in equal opportunities to both men and women and even our children, hence we encourage participation of all groups across the gender divide in the hosting of services, teaching and preaching, leading in various ministry activities as some corporate prayer sessions and by delegating responsibilities. The Ministry also supports numerous local pastors and provides financial, technical and spiritual support; this clearly shows our firm belief in Empowerment as our value in New Life Covenant Church. Our Objectives •
Apostolic Government •
Leadership development •
Fellowship & Discipleship •
Evangelism •
Social Engagement •
Economic Empowerment •
Intercessory Prayer FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES (Why we do what we do) New Life Covenant Church is a Pentecostal, Charismatic and Evangelical church with a dominant gift and anointing of Revelation Knowledge. We have and believe in fundamental doctrines that constitute our spiritual DNA and define us as well as distinguish us as a ministry with a God given mandate and purpose. These are our Non-­‐Negotiables. Below are 12 truths that we don’t compromise on as a ministry. Essentially they are at the centre of everything we do, unite us as a ministry and of course, form our identity. Though, summarized these are what we have adopted as our permanent doctrinal positions. BELIEF IN GOD -­‐ Principally, We believe in God as the Maker of heaven and earth, our supreme and only deity who is the creator of mankind, giver of life and one who relates to us as His Children and Him being our Father. We submit to his authority and sovereignty. WORD OF GOD -­‐ We, as a ministry subscribe to and submit to the authority and infallibility of the Word of God as the intent, will and expression of God. JESUS CHRIST -­‐ We believe in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God, who was crucified and died and on the third day, He rose again and ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We therefore believe in the doctrine of Christ as fundamental truth. HOLY SPIRIT -­‐ We believe in the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God given to the believer to guide in all truth (John 16: 13), to empower the believer through diverse gifts (1 Corinthians 12), to comfort the believer as the promise of God (John14:16-­‐17). THE GOD HEAD -­‐ We believe in the triune nature of God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We, thus believe in the Holy Trinity or Godhead as sometimes referred to as BLOOD OF JESUS -­‐ We believe in the Blood of Jesus that was shed at Calvary for the remission of our sins, for our justification and sanctification (Rom8:5), (Eph1:7), (1John1:7 (Heb13:12) REPENTANCE -­‐ We believe in the foundational doctrine of repentance from sin and dead works as God’s principle in righteousness (Heb 6:1) BAPTISM -­‐ We believe in the doctrine of Baptism. Water Baptism by full immersion, and baptism of the Spirit and Fire. (Matt 3:11). SECOND COMING OF CHRIST -­‐ We believe in The Second Coming of Christ, divine eternal judgment. (John14:2-­‐3), (Acts1:11), (1Thess4:16-­‐17) (Rev1:7) (Matt13:49-­‐50). KINGDOM OF GOD -­‐ We believe in the Kingdom of God and preaching, teaching and ministering the Word of God and the salvation of the Lost as our divine mandate(Matt28:19-­‐
20). APOSTOLIC TEACHING -­‐ We believe in and subscribe to apostolic teaching and that we are an Apostolic House with a Prophetic Emphasis. We have adopted and believe in the Apostolic Creed. FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNION -­‐ We believe in Fellowship and Communion as and with the rest of the Body of Christ. The NLCC Culture Culture, Dr Chand says, “It’s the personality of any organisation which reflects on the integrity and competence of its top leader.” Top leaders are responsible for creating a healthy culture for the organisations they lead, which translates into an environment where by team members work. “In a creative, supportive environment without feeling threatened by their own mistakes and by the failure of others” (Chand, 2011 p9) A good culture acts as an accelerant for an organization’s vision and mission. Thus, “Organisations should significantly and systematically invest in creating and building a healthy culture” (Chand 2011 p23) As a growing ministry we have a culture or systematic way of doing things. The wisdom of God demands that people be distinct and walk a certain way. The Apostle Paul states clearly in his epistle to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 5:8 that we are to walk as Children of Light. Our culture is seen in our principles and values as a Ministry and the aggregate of such values then distinctly become our general traits and behaviour. 1. Discipline, Order and Protocol – As a house we are uncompromising in the area of discipline and we believe in courtesy, etiquette, high morals and accountability. We are disciplined in our approach to things such as designated events, their duration or frequency. We have service schedules with allotted times to guide ministers of the word as we respect time. 2. We schedule events and consistent programmes as part of our discipline such as daily prayer meetings including a 24 Hour Prayer Facility, regular services (Sundays and Wednesdays), bible school, etc. we also have in place a code of ethics to guide and correct undisciplined members that are service personnel or volunteers. 3. Diversity – As a Ministry, we accommodate diverse groups of people in society from different races. We embrace the diversities and ethnicities among congregants and are not strict on race, colour or creed as we believe we are all God’s people and should worship the lord together. 4. Prayer – Our very core as a Ministry is prayer. Besides being our thorough emphasis, prayer is what essentially our ministry is founded on and the life blood of New Life Covenant Church. We are a praying church hence we have many prayer activities under a Prayer and Intercession Ministry. We have daily morning and lunchtime prayer meetings every weekday, monthly all-­‐
night prayer meetings, 24 Hour Prayer and ladies prayer meetings. We believe that NLCC is indeed a house of prayer. 5. Excellence – We thoroughly believe and maintain excellence as our culture. We believe and emphasise on excellence in every ministry department. We believe that Excellence is manifest in Our Services. We do not tolerate sub-­‐standard service in any matter or facet of this Ministry. All Ministry departments are to exhibit the highest attainable levels of excellence possible. 6. Revelatory Anointing – Given by God’s will is our dominant Revelatory Grace and Anointing on our ministry. We believe in proper interpretation of scripture and communication of the Gospel. 7. Technology – Whilst there is a debate in to what extent the church can adopt technology, we believe there is nothing wrong with the church becoming up to date with modern trends and technological advances as long as they propagate the gospel and not affect the doctrinal foundation of the word of God. 8. Empowerment – We believe strongly in Empowerment of the believer and the ordinary congregant as our way of life and hence we design all our programmes and events with the subtle theme of Empowerment, spiritually, financially, physically and emotionally. We believe in leadership training and development as an empowerment strategy. 9. Hospitality – We are a hospitable people that love, embrace and welcomes visitors and guests. We have a due process of inducting members into our ministry through warmly welcome and deliberate gestures by service hosts to make our visitors and guests as comfortable as possible. We generally, embrace all people across the gender divide. 10. Support – We have a culture of Care, Compassion and Love as evidenced as the existence of a particular ministry and intervention in our house called Compassion Ministry. This ministry serves to reach out to the ordinary member so we can be there in memorable and crisis moments of our members. We offer very limited financial support to congregants or members but moral and sometimes technical support. 11. The Principle Of Sowing – We believe in Giving as a Kingdom Principle. We also believe in engaging the Word, Declarations and Receiving the Anointing ministered through exchange what we possess or can serve with. We sow money, gifts, services etc. We have Prosperity teachings in each service to teach our congregants biblical methods of prosperity. We do not believe that people should be manipulated or coerced to give. Giving much entirety at ones volition but special appeals can be made in an encouraging and not condescending manner for giving towards special needs such as Conference Registration, our Kingdom Cathedral Building Programme. NLCC also sows and tithes as a church to our Apostolic Covering. 12. Honour – As a House, we strongly believe the greatest seed, a person can ever sow is the seed of Honour. We believe in honouring our leaders above us e.g. Civil and Governmental leaders. Paul instructs in Romans 13:1 that we are to be subject to higher powers. We thus do not preach or teach against our civil or political leaders as a matter of principle. We can however criticise actions that may contradict fundamental biblical beliefs but never the person or office. We also honour our Apostolic Covering and leaders of the Body of Christ in Zimbabwe and do not speak against them. HISTORY OF NLCC New Life Covenant Church was originally founded in the late 1970s in Harare (then Salisbury) by missionaries from the United States of America. It was originally known as New Life Temple. New Life Temple had its home in the Eastlea area, and the building was dedicated in November of 1980. In that same week, Tudor Bismark was ordained as a minister of the gospel on 8 November 1980. Bishop Tudor Bismark became the Senior Pastor of New Life Temple in 1984, and has been the Senior Pastor ever since. IN 1997, New Life underwent a change; leaving the Eastlea building that had been its home for 17 years and changing its name to New Life Covenant Church. IN that time since 1997, New Life has grown numerically, evolving and maturing into a national voice for what the Kingdom of God and survived through some of the toughest times Zimbabwe has seen. New Life Covenant Church in Harare has become a model for our affiliated churches around the world that carry the same name. Cities include Johannesburg, South Africa; Leister, Oxford, Birmingham, London, U.K.; Sydney Australia; Connecticut, USA; Amsterdam and Almere, Netherlands. BRANDING Question: So what is the difference between New Life Covenant Church and Jabula? Are we a Jabula church? What is CAA? I thought it was Jabula10K, now it’s Kingdom Cathedral? People have posited all the above questions without clear lines drawn to provide clarity. Here is a brief explanation of the difference in the brands that you may come across: New Life Covenant Church: HISTORY OF NLCC New Life Covenant Church was originally founded in the late 1970s in Harare (then Salisbury) by missionaries from the United States of America. It was originally known as New Life Temple. New Life Temple had its home in the Eastlea area, and the building was dedicated in November of 1980. In that same week, Tudor Bismark was ordained as a minister of the gospel on 8 November 1980. Bishop Tudor Bismark became the Senior Pastor of New Life Temple in 1984, and has been the Senior Pastor ever since. IN 1997, New Life underwent a change; leaving the Eastlea building that had been its home for 17 years and changing its name to New Life Covenant Church. IN that time since 1997, New Life has grown numerically, evolving and maturing into a national voice for what the Kingdom of God and survived through some of the toughest times Zimbabwe has seen. New Life Covenant Church in Harare has become a model for our affiliated churches around the world that carry the same name. Cities include Johannesburg, South Africa; Leister, Oxford, Birmingham, London, U.K.; Sydney Australia; Connecticut, USA; Amsterdam and Almere, Netherlands. Jabula New Life Ministries International (Jabula or JNLMI): Jabula, which means rejoice in Swahili, is a global network of churches that spans 29 countries on four continents. Jabula was founded by Bishop Tudor Bismark and Pastor Chichi Bismark in 1989, and was originally established to bring together churches that had never before had a platform under which to fellowship together. Today, the network comprises of more than 900 churches that are of like spirit, like mind and like heart, and have a collective agenda to preach the Kingdom of God in all the Earth. Jabula has an apostolic emphasis that is led by apostolic teams functioning under the five-­‐fold ministry (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher). Jabula emphasizes governmental reforms, establishing spiritual and physical infrastructure, and leadership and development empowerment. Bishop Tudor Bismark is the current Chairman and President with Bishop Melvin Brooks as CEO of JNLMI. Tudor Bismark Ministries: TBM is a formal company that handles all of Bishop Tudor Bismark’s personal ministry engagements, product development and businesses. The company was formed in order to manage the busy and prolific nature of Bishop’s “world”. This company has its headquarters in Cedar Hill ,Texas under the management of Brian and Sabrina Holmes. Kingdom Cathedral: Kingdom cathedral, formerly known as Jabula 10K, will be the super-­‐mega church home of New Life Covenant Church. It will be the “home” NLCC has been looking forward to many years (see history of NLCC), and will also act as the international headquarters for TBM and Jabula once completed.