We are excited to enter into a sister church covenant with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of Chepen, Peru!  Please keep this church in your prayers.  We will send our next short term mission team to Chepen in the summer of 2009.  Ask the Lord if He is calling you to go.


SISTER CHURCH COVENANT
We, the Board of Elders, on behalf of the members of Hope Church,
and
Christian & Missionary Alliance Church of Chepen

recognizing that we have been given a common mandate to make disciples of all nations and that God has drawn us together as co-laborers in the fulfillment of His desires and, further, recognizing that we are mutually and totally dependent on the Holy Spirit for His wisdom and enablement, hereby commit ourselves to the advance of our Lord's kingdom through this partnership to help develop multiplying New Testament churches.

Hope Church will exercise its responsibility with Christian & Missionary Alliance Church of Chepen
in the following ways:

1.  Pray regularly for the leadership and ministry of the CMA Church of Chepen.

2.  Seek to provide encouragement to and to communicate regularly with the CMA Church of Chepen.  Dave and Sue Lloyd will be our key contact people through whom communications will normally go.

3. Endeavor to visit the CMA Church of Chepen at minimum every two years for the purpose of ministry, encouragement, and review of ministry progress.

4. We will seek to provide $100 a month over the next year.  At the end of this time we will evaluate whether or not to continue our financial support for another year, or at the most two years, at a reduced level.  Support will not be given for more than three years so as to avoid an overly dependent financial relationship.  This limited financial involvement will also serve to encourage our sister church to be indigenous, which includes being self-supporting.

5.  Make Hope Church staff and lay persons available to provide training for pastors, church leadership, teachers, etc. if such is needed and requested.  We will endeavor to do this training in such a way that will encourage creative ways to minister.

6.  At some time during the next three years, one of our pastors will make a trip to Chepen to learn of the ministry and minister to the Chepen congregation.

7.  Inform the CMA Church of Chepen of any possible changes to this covenant and dialogue with them about such changes.

The CMA Church of Chepen will exercise their responsibilities in the following ways:

1.  Have a compatible Statement of Faith with that of Hope Church.  This will be determined by the leadership of both churches evaluating each other’s Statement of Faith.

2.  Pray regularly for the leadership and ministry of Hope Church.

3.  Seek to provide encouragement to and to communicate regularly with Hope Church.  Provide a key contact person with whom Hope Church can regularly communicate.

4. Report on the distribution of any ministry resources that Hope Church provides.

5.  Endeavor to develop goals and objectives for reaching our part of the world for Christ and making disciples.  These goals will be evaluated annually with Hope Church.

6.  At some time during the next three years, send some of our church leadership to learn from, evaluate the ministries of, and teach those of Hope Church.

7.  Annually review the progress of our sister church relationship evaluating the vision, goals, criteria and progress, etc.

8.  Inform Hope Church of any possible changes to this covenant and dialogue with them about such changes.