Rules and Protocol for CODA Membership
CHANGING YOUR HOME CHURCH
1. Only leave a church because God has given you a definite release and direction. Be sure you move in the timing of the Lord. Don't be a RENEGADE. People are called to a local church body as members in particular. Don’t be AWOL.
(1 Cor. 12:12-27; Acts 13:1-3)
2. Never leave a church because of an offense or hurt. Go through the proper channels to try to heal and restore relationships. (Matt. 18:15-17)
3. If you feel there is something wrong or out of order, first pray and ask God to reveal your own heart motivations. Let repentance start there first if necessary. Next, pray for the leadership. Cover them, love them, support them. Then, with God’s direction, go to the leader in a spirit of humility and love and share what God has given you. (1 Peter 4:8; James 3:13-18; 1Cor. 1:10-11; 3:1-4; Titus 3:9-11; 1 Samuel 26:8-11)
4. If God has given you a definite release from the church, go to the pastor and ask for their blessing to leave. This will keep you from becoming uprooted and unfruitful and having to start all over in the new location. This also keeps you under the blessings of God. (Acts 15:36:41)
MEMBERSHIP CONVENANT WITH
CODA MINISTRIES
I / We __________________________________ covenant with CODA MINISTRIES and its leadership to protect the unity of our fellowship. I will give thanks daily for the fellowship in which I have been placed. I will protect the fellowship by honoring those and praying for those in our congregation, our Bishop, pastors and ministry leaders. I will get involved and make a contribution to the growth and unity of CODA MINISTRIES. In doing this, I will not participate in any activity that would undermine authority or breakdown the fabric of brotherly Love! I will be part of the solution and not the problem.
As a member of CODA MINISTRIES, I will commit to...
... Protect the unity of my church by...
*Acting in love towards the members
* Refusing to backbite or sow discord
*Following the Bishop, Pastors and Ministry Leaders
(1 Cor. 13:4-8, 1 Peter 1:22, Eph. 4:29,Hebrews 13:17)
... Serve in the ministries of the church by...
*Discovering and using my gifts and talents
*Developing a servant’s heart and serving as needs arise
*Giving my time and finances to support activities and projects
(1 Peter 4:10, Phil. 2:3-4,7)
... Support my church by...
*Attending faithfully
*Giving regularly
*Praying for its needs, its growth and its Corporate Anointing!
*Inviting the unchurched to attend
(Hebrews 10:25, Leviticus 27:30, 1 Cor. 9:6-7, 1Thes. 1:1-2, Luke 14:23)
... Resolve my differences with other members in a Biblical manner by...
*Talking in private to the one who offended me
*Including 1-2 other witnesses or leaders if it’s unresolved
*Bringing the unresolved offense to the BISHOP!
... AND BEING 100% In:
PRAYER... TITHING... & PARTICIPATION...
People often ask, How do you join CODA?... especially when they notice that we do NOT make an appeal for membership at the end of our services. We believe that our Church membership is Divinely Appointed. Hence, the name 'Church of Divine Appointment.'
We believe that people who are committed before membership will: commit to prayer, give tithes and offerings, and participate in events consistently. These are the people that have the "stuff" that CODA is made of. After a time, we have what is called the TALK. That's when an appointment is set with Bishop Powell, who will then discuss with you what you'd like to do; what God is saying about your ministry; and how it will fit in CODA.
This process guards against inconsistent, insincere people hindering our growth or the anointing that's on our Ministry. We have found that those who are not committed eventually move on anyway.
At CODA Ministries... we change the lives of hurting people. We're CODA...and we can help You!
How to Join CODA
