Congratulations on making one of the most significant decisions of your lives! While we believe that asking Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior is the most important life-changing decision you can make, choosing the one with whom you will spend the rest of your life is incredibly significant. Now that you have chosen to commit yourselves to one another, we encourage you to align your marriage and your home with the biblical standards God has created.
At the Cove Church, we are committed to working with you so that your wedding and marriage honors God. The requirements and guidelines summarized below are part of our wedding policy for the services of Cove pastors or the use of our facilities. Christian marriage is a holy covenant between a man and a woman in relationship to Christ, so we require couples to approach marriage in a way that honors Christ and His Word. We ask you to read and sign the agreement below to follow these guidelines. Note the biblical references. Please understand that we decline the request to officiate a Christian wedding if a couple is not willing to comply with these requirements. Contact us at weddings@covechurch.org if you have questions about any of these guidelines and requirements or desire more information.
1. A Statement of Belief In believing that the Bible teaches that Christians are to marry only Christians, we require that both bride and groom believe and follow Jesus Christ as the Lord and director of their lives. If you have not yet become a committed Christ follower, we would welcome the opportunity to explain what it means to have a personal, on-going relationship with Jesus. (Genesis 2-3, 2 Corinthians 6:14-16; Romans 10:9-10; Matthew 28:19-20)
2. An Agreement to Purity God's Word teaches that the sexual relationship has been designed and intended for marriage, so we require that you do not engage in premarital sex. Furthermore, believing that living arrangements that include cohabitation prior to the wedding compromises one's faith and Christian witness, we require that you agree to separate living arrangements-addresses-until the wedding. (1Timothy 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 1 Cor. 7:23)
Note: If you have been living together and your desire to marry is based on a spiritual life-changing decision to follow God's Word now, please discuss your situation with the pastor you ask to officiate your wedding.
3. A Life of Faithfulness God is honored by faithfulness, and He is dishonored by adultery or any unfaithful relationship that contributes to divorce and the break-up of a family or previous marriage. Any request for marriage in that situation would be against the best interests of all involved and contrary to God's desires for a holy and faithful marriage. (Hebrews 13:4; Matt. 9:1-12; Romans 7:1-3)
4. A Commitment to Christian Community Believing that the Church is God's support system to grow strong marriages, we require that you attend and become involved in your Church. We recommend that you join a Life Group and a serving team. (Acts 2:37-47; Ephesians 4:1-5:33, Hebrews 10:19-25, Matthew 22:37f)
5. A Commitment to Preparation Pre-marital counseling with a Pastor is mandatory and should be set up as soon as one of the Pastors confirms that he is available to officiate a biblical Christian wedding for you. This preparation process requires up to several months prior to the wedding. (Proverbs 24:3-6; Luke 14:28-30; Ephesians 5:15-33)
