Membership

Ever feel alone and at the end of your rope?

The fourth chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes says:  “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

God doesn’t desire that any of His children would be left to face the trials of this world alone.  That’s why He adopted us into His family and made us brothers and sisters.  That’s why the New Testament is full of statements called “one anothers.”  In fact, that phrase - “one another” - is listed over 81 times!  If you’re a born again believer you ARE part of the family…but most believers still don’t feel like it.  That’s because in our fast-paced world, where another church is always down the road if you don’t like this one, most people never commit to being part of a local body of believers.

Membership is that commitment.  It is you saying, “These people are my family, and I’m going to stick with them through thick and thin.”

How to become a member:

In a way, membership is a rite of passage.  It’s all of us – you and the church – saying that we are brothers and sisters in Christ and that together we make up a local church family.  Because this is something of a monumental event, we don’t want to make it as meaningless as just signing a piece of paper, but we don’t want to make it unnecessarily difficult either.  Actually it’s quite simple.  All you have to do is convince the Pastor and two Deacons of the following:

1  You are a born again believer in Jesus Christ.  It goes without saying that if you don’t know Him you’re not part of the family.

2  You have been baptized.  This is your public testimony that you have done #1.

Those are the biggies, and the rest are rather simple…

3  You understand the church’s doctrinal beliefs.  Simply reading them once isn’t enough.  You have to understand them.

4  You agree with the church’s doctrinal beliefs.

5  You want to become an active member of the church and agree to abide by the church’s constitution.

6  Fill out a membership application form.  Just basic information.  You can get one of these here.

7   Give your testimony to the members of the church.  Not as scary as it sounds.  

If you’re already a member of another Bible believing church you can simply transfer your membership here by having them send a copy of your membership to us.  Though you still don’t get out of reading through the constitution!

The format of convincing the Pastor of this can take many forms.  If you know your stuff you could simply sit down and discuss these things over a cup of tea.  If, however, you’d like more instruction, our church does offer a baptism/membership class on a regular basis.  This class meets once a week for six weeks.  Understand that you don’t have to become a member if you just want to be baptized, but if you want to be a member you must have been baptized.  

The bottom line is that if you are a firmly committed follower of Jesus Christ and you’re interested in becoming a member, we’d love to have you!

Benefits of Membership:

1  Acknowledgment of commitment.  You’re not just a visitor or somebody who attends once in awhile.  You’re a member.  We know you are committed to us and you know we are committed to you.

2   Increased opportunities to serve God.  There are many ministry opportunities open to whoever God is leading to fulfill them, but any ministry involving teaching or oversight in the church is reserved for members only.  This is because we have a responsibility to those who come here to provide teaching that is in-line with God’s Word and leaders who have proven themselves to be committed to this body of believers.

3   Ability to vote on church business.  

We rely on God directing us through His Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t just tell one person what to do, but He tells the body.  By being able to vote you’re willing to be used by the Holy Spirit to direct the matters of the church.  Take this responsibility seriously!

4   Fellowship!  Having others surround you and encourage you to walk closer with Christ and press on to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

There are many more reasons than these!  So what are you waiting for?  Pray and seek God’s guidance on becoming a member today!

Hebrews 10:24-25

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”