Developing a Covenant — Covenant Discipleship with Children

New groups should devote their first several meetings to writing the group’s covenant. Begin with the General Rule of Discipleship, which is the starting point for all Covenant Discipleship covenants. Remind the children that the covenant is a statement of their intentions for living as disciples of Jesus Christ through acts of devotion, worship, compassion, and justice. Their actions as Christian disciples may involve more than they include in a written covenant, but those included in the covenant are actions that the group promises to live out each week.

SAMPLE Covenant

Preamble: We want to love God and our neighbors. We want to witness to Jesus Christ in the world through acts of devotion, worship, Compassion, and justice guided by the Holy Spirit. We promise these things to God. We know that God will forgive us when we make a mistake but we will be faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

Acts of Devotion

Read my Bible each week

Pray for my family, my friends, others in my covenant group, and myself

Acts of Worship

Attend worship each week

As a group, learn about the Christian Year

Acts of Compassion

Write, call, or Skype a grandparent or another family member or friend

Visit older adults in long-term care facilities

Acts of Justice

Learn about caring for God’s creation and organize a recycling project

Learn about homelessness and eat lunch and visit with guests at a homeless shelter

Personal Commitments

(Invite children to write their own personal clauses.)

Covenant Conclusion: We promise to follow this covenant, trusting in God’s grace to help us love God and our neighbor in all that we do.

I will be a faithful member of my group as we encourage and support each other.

Signatures of Group Members

Growing Everyday Disciples: Covenant Discipleship with Children is available at the Upper Room online book store. Order a copy today.