(Expectations for All Who Would Serve God As a Member of the Holy Cross Vestry)

 1. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God, acknowledged him as your Savior, and surrendered to him as Lord of your life? (See: Acts 4:12, John 1:12, John 14:6)

 2. Are you committed, as God enables you, to worship with your parish family in church every week? (See: Deuteronomy 5:12, Luke 4:16, Hebrews 10:24)

3. Are you involved in (or actively seeking) some form of Christian ministry by which you will give your time and talents to or through your church?  (See: Romans. 12:6, I Corinthians 12:7)

4. Are you working to develop your personal devotional life through regular prayer and study, and through regular gatherings with a small group of Christians for fellowship, study and prayer? (See: Mark. 1:35; 3:14; 9:2, Matthew 18:19)

5. Are you and your family committed to trusting God with a tithe of your anticipated income? If you are not already tithing, will begin tithing today? (See: Malachi. 3:10, Mark. 12:41f)

6. Are you prepared (or will you learn) to seek opportunities to give verbal witness to your faith, describing in appropriate ways God's action in Jesus Christ and his work in your life? (See: Romans 10:9-10, 14-17; I Peter 3:15, Acts 1:8)

7. Do you accept the responsibility of giving witness to your faith through your living, maintaining a good reputation with all people and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit in such ways that Christ is glorified? (See: I Timothy 3:2-7, Romans 12:1-2)

8. Are you willing to serve as an "elder" of your congregation, seeking only Christ's will for his church, and giving as much attention to the spiritual life of the congregation as to the financial and administrative decisions? (See: Acts 1:21, I Corinthians 1:26-31)

9. Are you willing to support parish functions - social and spiritual - with your work and attendance, and to place parish activities high on your list of priorities? (See Ephesians 4:1-2,11-16; Acts 2:42; 2:44-46)

10. Are you committed to attend every meeting of the vestry, to participate in the annual training retreat and to pray daily for your parish? (See: John 20:24-29)