Membership in the BLD Covenant Community means committing to a covenant relationship which demands loving obedience to the will of God the Father, an undying commitment to the person of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and openness and availability to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

The covenant also entails a commitment to enter into a relationship with members of the community and to participate in their lifestyle and mission. At the heart of such a commitment is the belief that the essence of salvation is to live the faith in Jesus Christ and the love for others.  It means upholding the nature and purpose, vision and mission of the BLD Covenant Community as outlined in the Statutes.

Formally, a BLD Covenant Community member may fall into three classifications of membership; namely: Regular Member, Committed Disciple or Covenanted Disciple.

Regular Membership

The entry points to Regular Membership in the BLD Covenant Community are the Encounter Programs (namely: the Marriage Encounter, the Singles Encounter, the Solo Parents Encounter, the Family Encounter, and the Youth Encounter) or Life in the Spirit Seminar.  Any individual, couple, or family who desires to join the BLD Covenant Community must have been baptized and confirmed and must have complied with other requirements at entry point.

Committed Disciple

A Committed Disciple is a Regular Member who has completed the Life in the Spirit Seminar and an encounter program, and has freely signed the BLD Covenant Community Commitment. The BLD Covenant Community Commitment, which is sealed by the action of the Holy Spirit at the Consecration of the Gifts during the Eucharistic Celebration, is composed of a Preamble and Five (5) Pledges.

The Preamble

As Committed Disciples, we believe that membership in the BLD Covenant Community requires a total commitment of ourselves to the person of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It means union of mind and heart and spirit with other Christian individuals, couples, and families, in obedience to God the Father and at the direction of the Holy Spirit.  It is premised on the belief that living in Jesus Christ is the essence of salvation and that full Christian maturity develops only from true discipleship with Jesus Christ and love for others.

As Committed Disciples, we profess communion with the Roman Catholic Church, belief in the official Catholic doctrine, and observance of the official Catholic liturgy.  We honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. And we acknowledge the authority of the Holy Father, the Pope, as the Vicar of Christ and the successor of Saint Peter and the Ecclesial authority of the Diocesan Bishop of the local church.

The Five Pledges

As Committed Disciples, we commit to the Lord and to the BLD Covenant Community to observe the following five (5) pledges of the BLD Covenant Community Commitment.

  1. We shall surrender ourselves totally to God the Father, to Jesus Christ the Son of God, and to the Holy Spirit of God. We believe that God is the Source of all authority. We humbly offer ourselves in submission and servanthood to God’s authority as represented by the Catholic Church in the persons of the Holy Father and the Bishops of the Church. We submit to the ecclesiastical authority of the Bishop of the Diocese and to follow those to whom he has lawfully delegated his authority;
  2. We commit ourselves to the guidance of the BLD Covenant Community Spiritual Director and to those who constitute or represent the BLD Covenant Community Council of Servant Leaders;
  3. We shall complete the Christian Discipleship Formation Program (“CDFP”) offered by the BLD Covenant Community;
  4. We shall regularly share our knowledge and experience in the Word with other members of the BLD Covenant Community at least once a week at our designated Word Sharing Circles (“WSC”);
  5. We shall nourish our spiritual lives by opening to God through individual, conjugal, and family daily prayers and we will up build the community through intercessory prayer. We shall faithfully pray and worship in unity and fellowship as one community at least once a week; and
  6. We shall remain reconciled and in solidarity with the other members in the BLD Covenant Community.

Covenanted Disciple

A Covenanted Disciple is a Committed Member who has freely signed the BLD Covenant Community Covenant.  The Community Covenant, sealed by the action of the Holy Spirit at the Consecration of the Gifts during the Eucharistic Celebration, is composed of a Preamble and Eight (8) Pledges.

The Preamble

As Covenanted Disciples, individuals, couples, and families, we are summoned by the Lord to membership in the BLD Covenant Community and thus, to the holy work of evangelization and shepherding other individuals, couples, and families towards a personal relationship with God, through the encounter and the renewal apostolates, and through our own personal witnessing of authentic Christian love and faith, service and worship.

As Covenanted Disciples, we believe that membership in the BLD Covenant Community requires a total commitment of ourselves to the person of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It means union of mind and heart and spirit with other Christian individuals, couples, and families, in obedience to God the Father and at the direction of the Holy Spirit.  It is premised on the belief that living in Jesus Christ is the essence of salvation and that full Christian maturity develops only from true discipleship with Jesus Christ and love for others.

As Covenanted Disciples, we profess communion with the Roman Catholic Church, belief in the official Catholic doctrine, and observance of the official Catholic liturgy.  We honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.  And we acknowledge the Holy Father, the Pope, as the Vicar of Christ and the successor of Saint Peter and the Ecclesial authority of the Diocesan Bishop of the local church.

The Eight Pledges

As Covenanted Disciples, we pledge to the Lord and to the BLD Covenant Community to observe the following eight (8) pledges of the Community Covenant.

  1. We shall surrender ourselves totally to God the Father, to Jesus Christ the Son of God, and to the Holy Spirit of God. We believe that God is the Source of all authority. We humbly offer ourselves in submission and servanthood to God’s authority as represented by the Catholic Church in the persons of the Holy Father and the Bishops of the Church. We submit to the ecclesiastical authority of the Bishop of the Diocese and to follow those to whom he has lawfully delegated his authority;
  2. We commit ourselves to the guidance of the BLD Covenant Community Spiritual Director and to those who constitute or represent the BLD Covenant Community Council of Servant Leaders;
  3. We shall nourish our spiritual lives by opening to God through individual, conjugal, and family daily prayers, and we will build the community through intercessory prayer;
  4. We shall read, study, and live the Word of God in Holy Scriptures and in other spiritual readings, and we shall regularly share our knowledge and experience in the Word with other members of the community at least once a week at our designated Word Sharing Circles (“WSC”); and shall attend continuing formation programs;
  5. We shall regularly receive the Sacraments of our Faith, particularly the Eucharist and Reconciliation, and bear witness to the power of God’s grace in our lives;
  6. We shall faithfully pray and worship in unity and fellowship as one BLD Covenant Community at least once a week;
  7. We shall serve in at least one BLD Covenant Community Mission or Ministry, guided by the direction of the BLD District Council of Stewards;
  8. We shall actively assist in ministering to the spiritual, personal, and material needs of other members of the BLD Covenant Community, and to the other members of the Body of Christ in a spirit of self-giving love; and
  9. We shall support the BLD Covenant Community Missions and Ministries with regular tithes and love offerings given according to our true means and out of the fullness of our hearts.