WHAT IS MEMBERSHIP? Membership is a commitment a person makes to the church family. This commitment involves a public profession of faith followed by baptism, agreement with The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (the church’s statement of faith), regular participation in a community group, regular participation in the instruction provided by the church family, regular participation in service to the church family and community, regular participation in the financial support of the church, and a willingness to hold accountable and be held accountable by fellow church members to follow Jesus faithfully.
WHY DOES MEMBERSHIP MATTER? Membership matters because the gospel matters! Without membership anyone can have a say in what the church believes, teaches, and does. Membership safeguards the church from doctrinal danger, the deceptiveness of sin, and financial abuse. Without a committed family of members of one mind and one spirit there is no accountability for teachers who teach false doctrine, no accountability for holy living, and no checks and balances for the use of the church family’s funds.
WHY DOES MEMBERSHIP MATTER? Membership matters because the gospel matters! Without membership anyone can have a say in what the church believes, teaches, and does. Membership safeguards the church from doctrinal danger, the deceptiveness of sin, and financial abuse. Without a committed family of members of one mind and one spirit there is no accountability for teachers who teach false doctrine, no accountability for holy living, and no checks and balances for the use of the church family’s funds.
CAN I COME TO CHURCH WITHOUT BEING A MEMBER? Absolutely! No one is turned away from attending church. Everyone is invited to attend worship with us each week. The best place to seek the Lord, to find answers to your spiritual questions, as well as to find encouragement is a biblical church family. Our hope is that you will begin to see the great benefits of becoming a part of the family of believers and want to join. We see membership as both a privilege and a responsibility. Anyone is welcome to attend at anytime though!
DO I HAVE TO BE A MEMBER TO SERVE? That depends. If you are teaching, working with children, leading in a ministry then membership is required. If you would like to work alongside of us as we serve our community then we welcome the support! Our desire is to be a blessing to our community in the name of Christ. You are a part of the community and service is the privilege of every community resident. When it comes to the inner functions of the church though we do require membership to serve in those capacities. Read the Church Constitution and By-Laws. Also, learn more about the operations and functions of the church from reading the Policy Manual.
DO I HAVE TO BE A MEMBER TO SERVE? That depends. If you are teaching, working with children, leading in a ministry then membership is required. If you would like to work alongside of us as we serve our community then we welcome the support! Our desire is to be a blessing to our community in the name of Christ. You are a part of the community and service is the privilege of every community resident. When it comes to the inner functions of the church though we do require membership to serve in those capacities. Read the Church Constitution and By-Laws. Also, learn more about the operations and functions of the church from reading the Policy Manual.
HOW CAN I JOIN IN MEMBERSHIP?
- Set up a Membership Interview with one of our pastors. This purpose of this interview is learn how you became a Christian, what you believe, and why you want to become a member of the church. We will also share with you the church family’s expectations of its members. If you would like to proceed with membership after this interview then you would...
- Share your testimony. Every membership candidate is asked to share with the church family how they became a Christian and why they desire membership in the church. As membership is a church family decision, the whole church family needs to hear your story and your desire for membership. Following your meeting with a pastor, we'll setup an appointment for you to meet with our Communications Director and capture your testimony on video. You'll have time to prepare and we'll guide you during the video session. Your video will only be a few minutes long and will be shown in a morning worship service.
- Be baptized. Baptism is required for membership for those who have not yet been baptized by immersion following their profession of trusting in Christ. Your video testimonial will be shown immediately prior to your baptism. If you are transferring your membership from another SBC church or you are joining by a statement of faith (having already been baptized by immersion after becoming a Christian) then your video will be shown during the morning worship service.
- Be voted on by the church family at the next regularly scheduled Family Meeting. Your name will be presented for membership at the next Family Meeting. We will contact you if there are any questions or concerns.
- Get Connected on CHURCH CONNECT. CHURH CONNECT is our new web app and allows you to give online, view the church calendar, register and pay for ministry events you want to participate in, and randomly shares private prayer requests and many other sources of information. To get connected, email Patty at pdill@hopeformacon.com and ask to be added to CHURCH CONNECT.