Stage 1 Formation

CFC Singles for Christ

Covenant Orientation Weekend v.2011

TALK No. 1: Our Covenant and the Vision & Mission of SFC
Objectives:
• Develop an understanding of what the SFC covenant is, why it is important and how this
applies to their personal life
• Strengthen the SFC members’ desire to deepen their relationship with God through the
Singles For Christ Covenant
• Lead the members to have a sense of ownership of the SFC Vision and Mission and desire to
make it a reality

Speaker’s Profile:
An SFC leader who lives out the SFC covenant in the different aspects of his/her life; someone
passionate about fulfilling the SFC vision and mission

Speaker’s Outline
I. INTRODUCTION

A. As members of SFC we enter into a covenant.

• After the CLP, we were invited to enter into the "Covenant of the CFC Singles for
Christ".
B. We need to understand more about this covenant with the Lord because:
1. Through it we respond to God’s invitation.
2. Our covenant helps us to live out our calling as members of SFC.
3. Living out our covenant with the Lord will allow us to grow more in our
relationship with Him and with one another.
4. It is between us and our God and therefore it is of utmost importance.
C. We need to appreciate how the SFC covenant helps us to live out our faith in
concrete situations in our day-to-day life.

II. THE COVENANT AND THE SFC

A. What is a covenant?
1. A covenant is a solemn agreement between parties through which they commit
themselves to certain relationships, tasks, obligations or ways of living.
2. In the time of the Old Testament, a covenant was a treaty not between equals,
but between a greater or more powerful person (or group of people, tribe) and a
lesser, less powerful person (or group). It was usually the more powerful person
who initiated the covenant.

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3. The covenant was a lifetime or long-term agreement.

B. The Old Covenant and the New Covenant

1. In the Old Testament, God initiates a loving relationship with the Israelites when
He frees them from slavery in the hands of the Egyptians. The Israelites,
recognizing God’s goodness and love in this act of salvation, respond to His love
with gratitude by obeying the 10 commandments, a way of living that expresses
their love for God in this relationship.

2. Unfortunately, the essence of this covenant, which is the mutual exchange of

love between God and His people, was distorted when the Jews began to think
that they had to earn God’s love by observing His laws.
a. More and more rules were added; rules became more and more strict.
b. Thus, the covenant became reduced to a set of rules that had to be
followed in order to please God, no longer as a way of responding
to God’s invitation of love.

3. In the New Testament, Jesus restores the covenant to its original meaning of
being a relationship based on love and forgiveness between God and His people,
rather than merely following countless rules and rituals. He summarizes the 10
commandments into the 2 greatest commandments, love of God and love of
neighbor. These commandments allow us to respond to God in love.

C. Our Covenant Commitment in SFC

1. In SFC, we enter into a covenant with God. Our commitment is to the Lord as His
people, to live as a people of God.

2. Our covenant is not a set of rules that we should follow in order to remain active
members of SFC, or in order to earn God’s love and forgiveness. Rather, as God
intended in His covenant with His people, they are our way of responding to
God’s love for us by striving to grow in our relationship with Him and with one
another, and make Him known by all.

3. Elements of this commitment

a. We are to live our lives in righteousness and holiness.
“Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your
former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in
every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, "Be holy because I (am)
holy." 1 Peter 1:14-16

b. We are to live our lives in loving service to God and to one another.

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4. Our covenant includes specific commitments to help us grow in our relationship

with God, made explicit in the SFC Covenant card.
a. Deepening our relationship with God is our first priority as an SFC.
b. From this will naturally follow:
• The deepening of our relationship with others
• Our desire to make ourselves available for the Lord’s service

5. Our covenant is an ideal.

a. Not necessarily already in place. This is precisely why we need mutual
ongoing support.
b. What is important is that we understand the covenant, agree with it, and
try to live it out.

D. Why is our covenant important to us as members of SFC and as Christians in

general?
1. After completing the CLP and becoming members of SFC we need a constant
reminder of the new life the Lord is giving to us.
2. A covenant allows us to live a common life as a community.
3. Sincerely living out our covenant with the Lord has a major impact in our
personal growth as a person and in our faith journey as a Christian.
4. Living out our covenant helps to bring us closer to the vision of our ministry
(which will be discussed later).

III. EMBRACING OUR COVENANT

A. If we look closely at the SFC covenant, we will see that it was designed by the Lord to
help us grow in the different aspects of our lives.
1. Our personal relationship with GOD
2. Our family and work life
3. Our life as a member of the SFC community
4. Our service
5. Our growth as a Christian person

B. What does the SFC covenant ask of me? How have I begun or am I beginning to live
out this covenant since the time I graduated from the CLP? (Refer to the SFC
Covenant at the end of this outline.)

1. In my personal relationship with God – the SFC covenant includes devoting time
for communicating with God through a deeper prayer, scripture, and
sacramental life. It goes to follow that this must reflect in my private and family
life, as I stive to live in righteousness, not living a double life but one consistent
with what the Lord teaches us.
a. Have I scheduled a daily prayer and scripture reading time?
b. Do I pray regularly as scheduled?
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c. Do I read scriptures regularly as scheduled?

d. Do I regularly go to Church?

2. My family and work life – the SFC covenant asks me to bring the Lord and His
message of love wherever I am (family, work, society) and that I use my
resources responsibly and for God’s glory.
a. How have I begun to witness in my family and my workplace?
b. Do I contribute to the unity in our family?
c. Do I do my best in my work?
d. Do I use the resources (financial an otherwise) given to me responsibly?

3. My life as a member of the SFC Community – the covenant unites me with the
rest of the members of SFC in that it allows me to be a faithful and caring
member and at the same time a brother/sister to others.
a. Do I attend the weekly household meetings, monthly chapter prayer
assemblies and other SFC gatherings? This is an important element of my
life in SFC which I must begin to give priority to.
b. Am I punctual in all meetings?
c. Do I intercede for my brothers and sisters in the community?
d. Am I critical about the life and order of the body?

4. My service – the SFC covenant asks that I allow myself to be used by the Lord for
His mission, in whatever way I may be called to serve. This makes me a part in
allowing God to do His work through SFC.
a. Have I invited anyone or told anyone about SFC?
b. Have I been asked to serve, even through simple tasks, in any SFC
activity? Do I accept these assignments with a joyful heart?
c. Am I open to supporting the work of CFC-SFC with my finances? (More on
this in the succeeding talks.)
d. Am I aware of the work of Couples for Christ and its other ministries? Am
I open to supporting them?

5. My growth as a Christian person – the SFC covenant asks that I take seriously my
formation as a Christian through the various avenues for formation that SFC
provides. In this way I will grow in my love for God and for others.
a. Have I attended any teachings, retreats, and conferences of SFC since I
became a member? Am I willing to invest my time and resources on
these formation activities?
b. Do I practice what I learn in all the teachings, retreats, and conferences?
c. Do I seek to be formed? Am I willing to be formed in this ministry?
d. Do I seek to be holy? Do I desire to be holy?

6. In the succeeding talks in this Covenant Orientation weekend, we will come to

know better how we can live out our covenant in the different aspects of our

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life: in our spiritual life, our family, our workplace, in the SFC community, even
in the way we handle our finances and serve the poor.

C. As members of SFC, we are encouraged to accept the NEW life the Lord is offering us
and to use the SFC Covenant as a tool that will help us take care of this NEW life.

D. The Lord is asking us to decide to make the SFC Covenant our “personal” covenant
agreement with HIM.

E. The SFC Covenant reminds and guides us in our journey towards the fulfillment of
the SFC Vision and Mission. At the end of the day, we are to live our lives with the
pursuit of the SFC Vision as the ultimate goal and with the SFC Mission as our
means.

IV. THE SFC VISION AND MISSION

A. The SFC Vision

“Every Single Man and Woman all over the World Experiencing Christ”

The SFC vision was re-stated and unveiled to the general membership in the 16th
SFC International Conference in 2008 in Cebu City, Philippines. It is important
that as SFCs we understand this vision and that we desire to make it happen in
our personal lives and in the lives of others. The following describes the
meaning of each word and phrase in the re-stated SFC vision.

1. EVERY
a. The call to Christ is not exclusive only to certain groups (e.g. not only to
Christians, Catholics, or members of renewal groups).

b. It is for everyone without exception. As Christ did not choose to exclude

those whom He would touch, we should also work to make others
experience Him regardless of who they are.
i. It is for believers and non-believers
ii. It is for both the “good” and the “bad”

c. The desire to include all people must be rooted in a genuine desire for
everyone to experience Christ and in the belief that everyone deserves to
experience Christ.
i. We have to believe that Christ can transform anyone and
everyone (e.g., Saul converted to become St. Paul the Evangelist)

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ii. We have to believe that it is not too late for anyone to come to
Christ (e.g. the thief in Calvary)

d. We believe that the world can be united in Christ. We are united under
one God.
i. Before we think about the world, we know that Christ can bring
reconciliation and unite our families, other communities, broken
friendships and relationships.
ii. We must adopt the spirit of humility that Christ loves all people
equally and that no one is favored more than another or is
unworthy of being included in God’s Kingdom. If this is the spirit,
we can sincerely picture being united under Christ.

2. SINGLE.
a. Our ministry’s primary focus in on the single person by helping him/her
experience Christ, but we believe that everyone around us should be
experiencing Christ through us.

b. Single: the Life Stage

i. We envision a world wherein the single person fully experiences
Christ.
ii. We work to help create that world by doing our part in renewing
the world of the single person.

c. Single: Each and every person we interact with, touch, and can influence
i. Our experience of Christ leads us to be Christ experiences to
everyone we are around (i.e,,it is wrong for us to claim to be
experiencing Christ when others around us do not experience
Christ through us)

3. MAN and WOMAN.

a. We uphold God’s unique design for Man and Woman.
b. We respect, honor, and uphold God’s design and unique roles for both
Man and Woman most especially how this design leads to life.
i. We will work to help Men and Women understand and live out
their real and original role as designed by God.
c. We build and defend the fruits of the union between Man and Woman:
We are and will continue to be Pro-Family and Pro-Life.
i. This supports the values of CFC and the Catholic Church

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4. ALL OVER THE WORLD.

a. We are a missionary and evangelistic community as a response to the
Great Commission.
b. We are guided by the Great Commission (Mt. 28: 19-20)
c. We do not only create a presence (e.g. merely setting up in another area
or country) but rather we work to build strong and dynamic Christian
communities everywhere

5. EXPERIENCING CHRIST.
a. We are part of an active and ongoing experience of Christ that leads to
transformation, service, and the pursuit of holiness.
b. Experience vs. Experiencing: God wants us to be experiencing Him
through Jesus Christ
i. “Experience” is a one-time occurrence.
ii. “Experiencing” is a continuous experience.
iii. This is what God wants for us--a relationship that is an ongoing
experience of His love.
c. Experiencing God’s love through Jesus Christ leads us to transformation
i. Our lives are a happy response to God’s immense love for us
• The reason behind our actions (going to household, serving in
Ancop and the Social Ministries, loving others even if it is
difficult and inconvenient, etc.) is love for God.
ii. We are compelled to share and proclaim God to others through
both word and witness
• It is not merely giving talks or quoting Scripture but a life that
reflects God working in us
• It is living out our faith

B. The SFC Mission

"Building the Church of the Home and Building the Church of the Poor"

The SFC mission is taken from the mission of Couples for Christ. This is the
expression of the Mission in the SFC Ministry.

1. BUILDING THE CHURCH

• First, be good and faithful members, who are committed to growing in love,
personal holiness, and knowledge of the foundations of our faith.
• Be defenders of the Church and life by opposing worldly beliefs and
movements that undermine the very things our faith holds sacred.

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• Work for justice, equality, and the dignity of life.

• Actively serve and participate in our parishes.

• Second, we build the Church by bringing more people to knowing Christ

through active evangelization and by being strong witnesses to Christ living in
our lives.
• We strive for both holiness and excellence in all aspects of life that Christ
may be known and glorified.
• We are passionate to go to the ends of the earth to proclaim Christ and
we are just as passionate to do the same where we are right now.

2. BUILDING THE CHURCH OF THE HOME

• We take the lead in creating a family atmosphere where there is love,
openness, forgiveness, happiness, and unity under Christ.
• We are reflections of Christ in our own homes as we support the families we
are born into (as members) as well as prepare ourselves for the families we
will start in the future (as heads). We do this by living a life of purity,
holiness, and selflessness.

3. BUILDING THE CHURCH OF THE POOR

• Because we see and experience Christ in the poor, we serve the poor
through a committed and loving dedication to provide for their needs with
urgency through love and a personal sacrifice of our time, our resources,
efforts and talent. We understand that we cannot build God's kingdom here
on earth without the poor.

We are FOR Christ and we live like the Apostles as His disciples in the present day
(empowered and led by the Holy Spirit to passionately and unceasingly proclaim
Christ to all nations, establishing a brotherhood of love and sharing, and serving the
poor, the captives, the blind, and oppressed). The totality of our lives is a reflection
of Christ.

V. CONCLUSION
What is the Lord telling us?

• The SFC Covenant is a reminder of our commitment to the Lord in our loving
relationship with Him. Our faithfulness to this covenant will prepare and enable
us to pursue our ultimate goal, which is to live out the SFC Vision in our lives with
the SFC Mission as the means to achieve this.

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• Living out our covenant individually and as a community allows us to to be one in

love, one in heart, one in life. In this way we begin to make the SFC vision a
reality.

Reflection Questions
1. Am I ready to commit to having a loving relationship with the Lord through SFC?
2. What specific action steps will I take to deepen my relationship with the Lord?
3. What does the SFC vision mean to me?
4. What is the SFC vision requiring of me?
5. How can I begin to live out the SFC vision in my own life?

THE COVENANT OF THE CFC SINGLES FOR CHRIST

Trusting in the Lord’s help and guidance:

I. I shall live as a follower of Christ.

Pray daily for at least 15 minutes.

Study scriptures daily for at least 15 minutes.

Live a righteous life and avoid situations which are occasions for sin.

Put good order into my private life and support my parents in building a Christian
family.

Participate regularly in the worship life of my church.

II. I will work towards the evangelization and transformation of my work place, my family
and my community.

Put good order in my work situation.

Be a witness of the love and power of the Lord Jesus in my work and in my family.

Be a good steward of all resources entrusted to me.

Be a good citizen of my country, obeying its laws and protecting its environment.

III. I will be a committed and active member of the CFC Singles for Christ.

Attend my small group meetings regularly and support the good order of the
meetings.

Faithfully participate in all the activities of the group.

Relate in love, loyalty to and respect for all my brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Interceded daily for the group and its mission.

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IV. I will make myself available to the Lord for service.

Bring other single men and women to Christ.

Give generously of my time and resources to the Lord’s service, whenever I am
called and follow directions of those who responsibility for any service .

Support the work of Couples for Christ and its Ministries.

V. I will study and seek to grow as a Christian person.

Attend all teachings, retreats, seminars and conferences of the CFC SINGLES FOR
CHRIST.

Diligently study all materials given to me.

May the Lord Jesus Christ help me to be faithful in living out this commitment every day for His
greater honor and glory and for the good of my brothers and sisters.

______________________________
Signature

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