Our Pledge to You, the Amazing Members of CRC

2 Timothy 4:1-8
“1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

The Leaders of CRC make each and every person who is influenced by our ministry the following pledge:

We pledge to keep Christ “first” in our preaching, in our leading, and in our living. (v1)

We promise to continue to give you a “God-centered” instead of a “man-centered” view of His Holy Word. We believe placing Him first is the best way to lead people to know and serve Him. This will undoubtedly mean we must all surrender more of ourselves to Christ and His Cross, which to us is a great thing!

We pledge to “preach the Word” without compromise. (v2)

Our most sacred task is to give you God’s Word with accuracy, passion, and holy fear. We will not “play around” with the text. We will strive to let the text speak for itself. We will strive to walk the commanded balance between correction/rebuke and encouragement. Instead of trying to make the Word relevant, we promise to teach as if God’s Word is always relevant!

We pledge to love and teach you with patience and care. (v2)

We love each and every one of you. We love your families and your children. If we have made any mistakes, please forgive us. We will work hard for your families and your future in Christ Jesus “with all patience and longsuffering.”

We pledge to “watch our lives and doctrine closely” (1 Tim 4:16) and encourage you to do the same. (v3)

We promise to continue to instill and defend the primary doctrines of Christianity. We will continue to “major in the majors.” And given the emphasis on doctrine in the New Testament Epistles, we will strive to refute error as best we can with love, understanding, grace, and humility.

We pledge to give you the truth, no matter what the cost. (v4)

The “belt of truth” anchors the Body and gives us the stability to work hard and effectively in the Kingdom. We will stand for truth, and continue to proclaim that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

We pledge to serve you with self-control, endurance, passion for the Cross, and excellence. (v5)

We promise to live lives of stability and consistency so you never have to experience flaky leadership, even when times are difficult. Our goal is to be “steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord” regardless of our individual circumstances.

We pledge to embrace the price of leadership. (v6)

We are willing to give our lives for the cause of Christ, for our families and for His people. We consider our leadership an offering to the Lord and therefore we pledge to never manipulate you or intentionally try to hurt you. Rather, we pledge to work for your good and for the fulfillment of your purpose in the Lord.

We pledge to finish what we started. (v7)

We pledge that we will not quit, will not bow cultural pressure, will not back off the call to advance the Kingdom of God, and will not give up on God’s people. We will strive to win the lost, disciple the people of God, and honor Christ until our last breath. (This might sound melodramatic, but it is truly how we feel!

We pledge to set an example of righteous living in anticipation of a righteous crown. (v8)

We pledge to strive for holiness in our own personal lives, in our family lives, and in our ministry. We want to be the sort of people that if followed, will lead you to Christ and His standards of purity, love, and work ethic.

We pledge to lead as if Christ can return at any moment! (v9)

We want to lead by faith in God’s Word and eternal purposes. We want to lead with joy and determination. We want to lead with a sense of divine urgency like tomorrow may not come. And we pray you will live the same way.

With love, Your CRC Leadership Team,