Life Together Covenant
Authentic community starts here.
Worthington Christian School (WC) is a community of Christians who have joined for the purpose of spiritual growth, academic progress, and personal development. The goal of this covenant is to identify those things that will assist us in meeting the spiritual and educational objectives of WC. While it is impossible to create a covenant where all boundaries and expectations are acceptable to everyone, all would agree that certain boundaries and expectations are necessary to ensure an orderly life together. When students, faculty, staff, and parents join the WC community, they freely and willingly choose to take upon themselves the responsibilities outlined in this covenant.
Assumptions
- Loving God and loving our neighbors are the primary motivations for all relationships and behavior.
- The Bible is our authority; it provides the essential teachings and principles for personal and community conduct.
- It is normal for the Christian to desire to be guided by the Word of God and to be led by the Holy Spirit in all aspects of life.
- Satan does not play fairly, and members of our community will be under constant spiritual attack by the world, the flesh, and the devil himself.
Responsibilities & Relationships
Within our community, the greatest expression of fellowship and the highest principle for relationships is love. Jesus said:
37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
We often wonder what “love” looks like. The following are specific identifications of love and provide the basis for understanding the essential elements of our relationships.
Love Builds Us Up
We expect each member of the community to strive to maintain relationships that support, encourage, and help others. “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” (Romans 15:1-2 NIV). Since our words have the power to build up or tear down, we should expect the Holy Spirit to lead us in what we do and do not say to others. Gossip and sarcasm, even if we are “just kidding,” is unloving (Proverbs 26:18-19). We value communication that builds up others.
Love Is Patient
Because of our humanness, difficulties in relationships can occur. In such cases, we are to respond as the Scripture states: “. . . Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another,” (Colossians 3:12, 13a NIV). We should expect the Holy Spirit to lead us as we interact with those who have made unwise or immature choices. We value patience with each other’s weaknesses and occasional poor judgment.
Love Helps Us Bear Each Other’s Burdens
We are responsible for coming alongside those experiencing grief, discouragement, illness, tragedy, or other personal trials. Expressions of bearing one another’s burdens include comfort, encouragement, consolation, and intercession. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NIV). We should follow the Spirit’s promptings to express our love and concern for each other, especially during hard times. We value supporting each other.
Love Is Truthful
Speaking the truth to each other with love will strengthen our community. “Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Ephesians 4:25 NIV). We should follow the Spirit’s leading to speak to each other about struggles, choices, and issues which, if left unaddressed could lead to bigger problems. “Looking the other way” is unloving. We value productive, loving, solution-oriented interaction.
Love Reconciles, Restores and Makes Restitution
Healing broken relationships is necessary for a healthy community. When relationships are damaged, regardless of the reason, individuals should reach out to one another, forgive one another, restore relationships, and make restitution whenever possible or necessary. We understand that reconciliation and restoration do not equal “getting off the hook.” We understand that in a school setting, some actions, because of their harmful or dangerous nature, will have consequences (see “School Disciplinary Procedure” section on page 8). II Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV states, “He [Christ] gave us the ministry of reconciliation . . . and He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” We value forgiveness and restoration of relationships. We must seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in all matters that pertain to healing and restoring broken relationships.
Implementing the above expressions of love in relationships requires continual sensitivity to the Holy Spirit on the part of parents, students, faculty, staff, coaches, and administrators.