3. The Household Covenant

"The covenant is the leader's friend because it will spell out what is to happen in group meeting times. The leader simply implements what the group has already decided. This covenant will help the group identify itself and its purpose, and it will help hold the individuals accountable to the group. Remember, as you prepare the covenant, that group consensus is essential. You cannot negotiate this by majority rule." (Jeffrey Arnold: "he Big Book on Small Groups.")

Building a Covenant

Building a covenant is not simply about getting everybody to agree about what the Household is going to study. At the heart of a covenant is the willingness to take the time to listen to each other - to hear what each person in the Household wants to get from the time together. In many cases, as the Household members share their individual hopes, they will not only be listening to each other but they will understand why this time is important. Group consensus is vital and we need to take the time to do this properly. Most Households will take some time to put together a covenant. The time you invest in building a covenant might be the best time you have together as a Household and may be critical to the life of the group.

Covenant Objectives

To get to know one another well. (How will this happen?)
To share our experiences together. (Does this take place during the sharing time?)
To trust and support one another. (By building friendships?)
To pray and worship together. (By sharing our mutual beliefs and personal faith stories.)
By worship and prayer as a group

Covenant Elements

The reason we are meeting
What we hope to get out of this group
Names of the Leader, the Host and the other members of the Household.
The frequency of our meetings.
What we shall study.
How we shall worship.
How often we shall meet.
The start time and length of each Household meeting.
The start and completion date for our covenant.

Meeting Focus

There are many advantages of a covenant for the Household of Faith. A Covenant establishes the Household as a family unit rather than a group. It is best to meet regularly every week but you may build in breaks for the Household, e.g. over summer and Christmas if that is the wish of the group. It allows for a reshaping of the vision and purpose of the Household as it grows and matures together. A good way to begin the discussion of a household covenant is to encourage members to talk about what they hope to get out of it. The first time that the group is together you may need to provide some guidelines about the Teaching Materials, the Sharing Time and type of Worship.

Meeting Goals

List the goals the Household has. They should be clear, attainable and may include....

To learn together. (What are we going to study?)
To get to know one another well. (How will this happen?)
To share our experiences together. (Does this take place during the sharing time?)
To trust and support one another. (By building friendships?)
To pray and worship together. (By sharing our mutual beliefs and personal faith stories.)
By worship and prayer as a group

"You are fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household." Ephesians 2.19

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